Air filtering face masks are either soft or rigid. In order to be effective they must form an air seal, so that all air entering and exiting the mask passes through filtering material. Soft face mask made of filtering material have a limited ability to adjust to various facial sizes and shapes, as they can not accurately follow facial contours in the same manner as rigid face masks. The problem is exacerbated by movement of a wearer's jaw. Downward movement of the wearer's jaw, as a result of talking or coughing, exerts a downward force, causing gaps to form along edges of the mask which compromise the air seal. This allows airborne contaminants to bypass the filtering material, entering and exiting the mask via the gaps along the edges, thereby defeating the intended respiratory protection.